Slide fastener tape construction



Y May 3, 1960 w. T. cARsoN SLIDE FASTENER TAPE CONSTRUCTION Filed June 3. 1957 V INVENTOR v \N\LL\HM T. CARSQN ATTORNEY nited States This invention relates generally to the manufacture of zipper tape and particularly to an improved construction of the bead that extends longitudinally along one edge of the tape and to which the zipper teeth are anchored, the present invention being not only in the improved form of zipper tape per se as an article of manufacture but also in the method of producing the same.

It is conventional to bead zipper tape by sandwiching one longitudinally extending edge of a,V length of preformed tape fabric between a pair of pre-formed cords and Ithen sewing these cords to the tape fabric to thereby obtain the final product. This method of manufacturing zipper tape is not entirely satisfactory because normally the manufacturer is not supplied with both the tape fabric and the cord by the same source, which is an inconvenience. In addition, the manufacturer must maintain an inventory including not only different colors but'also cord as Well as tape fabric, in consequence of which the required inventory is unduly large. Furthermore, sewing machines are essential, and these require a substantial initial investment, occupy valuable door space, and are costly to maintain in operation.

It is also conventional to bead zipper tape by incorporating a length of separately manufactured and fully formed cord with the tape fabric as the latter is woven. This method of manufacturing zipper tape is not entirely satisfactory either because the zipper-complete with cord and teeth-is commonly made initially in one continuous length and then cut to a number of usable lengths. Either before or after the tape is cut, a number of zipper teeth must be removed in the region of each cut, and -during this teeth removing operation the weft portionsthat extend around the cord and tie it -in are often cut, in consequence of which they become'frayed and causev poor operation of the assembled zipper. In addition, as in the iirstmentioned conventional method of manufacturing zipper tape, the cord must be manufactured separately and isfully formed before incorporation thereof with the tape fabric. Furthermore, in order to weave cord with yarn, a major rearrangement of the loom is required. For example, a separate warp beam must be used for the cord, and the back and front reeds must be changed. Still further, automatic tying in machines cannot tie in cord, in consequence of which their usefulness is limited.

Having in mind the foregoing, an important object of the present invention is to provide an improved zipper tape wherein the beaded edge to which the zipper teeth are anchored is formed without utilizing separately manufactured and fully formed cords, in consequence of which the problem of excessive inventories is materially reduced and the cost of incorporating pre-formed cord with separately formed tape fabric is eliminated.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide such a zipper tape wherein untwisted closely hunched yarn bundles respectively form the cords, which latter conjointly form the bead, the bead and the tape fabric being progressively formed and tied together as they are formed, in one and the same simple weaving operation.

Still another important object of the present invention is to provide such a zipper tape wherein the bundles of untwisted closely bunched yarns aforesaid are tied into the tape fabric at predetermined intervals along the length thereof by a weft yarn that is looped and pulled tight thereabout and thereby drawn into the sides thereof for protection against beingrdamaged when zipper teeth are removed during the operation of reducing a continuous length of the zipper tape to usable lengths thereof.

A further important object of the present invention is to provide a type of zipper tape which permits the bead and tape fabric to be progressively formed and tied togethed as they are formed in one and the same simplel weaving operation utilizing a conventional arrangement of the loom and making full use of automatic tying-in machines.

A still further important object of the present invention is to provide such a zipper tape wherein the bundles of untwisted closely hunched yarns aforesaid are treated with a suitable substance that forms a flexible protective film thereover, which iilm operates to guard the weft yarn looped abou-t said bundles against being damaged when zipper teeth are removed during the operation of reducing a continuous length of the zipper tape to usable lengths thereof. 1

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear more fully hereinafter, it being understood that the present invention consists substantially in the combination, construction, location and relative arrangement of parts, as well as in the method of manufacturing zipper tape,` all as described in detail hereinafter, as shown in the accompanying drawings, and as finally pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a section of zipper tape constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention, the yarns being shown loosely interwoven to diagrammatically illustrate the construction of the fabric.

Figure 2 is a View looking at the beaded edge of the zipper tape shown in Figure 1 and indicating a protective coating applied thereto. A

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2. Y l

Figure 4 is a plan section taken on line 4 4 of Fig ure 3. Y I

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a section of zipper tapeV constructed in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention, illustrating the tightly interwoven fnal product.

Referring to the drawings, the zipper tape constructe ,in accordance with and embodying the principles of the present invention essentially is a woven fabric comprising a series of regular warp yarn ends 10 that extend the length of the tape in laterally spaced relation to one an-l other, and a weft yarn 11 that courses back and forth across the fabric and ties the warp yarn ends 10 together in conventional manner.

Extending lengthwise of the zipper tape, along one edge thereof, are a multiplicity of bead forming warp yarn ends 12 that are arranged in two untwisted bundles there-V of, respectively designated 13 and 14. These bundles conjointly formthe bead, generally designated 15, to which the zipper teeth are attached, the bundle 13 being disposed in overlying and the bundle 14 being disposed in underlying relation to the edge of the tape fabric;

On the beaded side of the zipper tape, at regular intervals, the weft yarn 11 is extended transversely of the tape fabric outwardly beyond the regular warp yarn ends 10 and is interwoven with a pair of auxiliary warp yarn ends 16 and 17 that extend the length of the tape in laterally spaced relation to one another and to the regular Warp yarn ends 10. Thus the bead forming warp yarn ends 12 are gathered into the bundles 13 and 14, each of which bundles is generally circular in transverse section, and the bundles are stood up on the edge of the fabric and tied thereinto to conjointly form the bead 1S. By way of further explanation, one typical repeat of the weave pattern will now be described.

4Referring particularly to Figure 1, commencing at the edg'eof the fabric that is notbeaded, at point X thereon, the cou-rse of the weft yarn 11 is as follows: (l) A first principal pass is made, fronrleft to right. After weaving between the warp yarn ends v10, the weft extends between -the bundles 1 3 and 14, under the auxiliary warp yarn end 1 6, and inallyloops about the auxiliarywarp yarn 17; (2) a second principal pass .is made, from right to left. After extending over the auxiliary warp yarn end 16 and the bundles 13 and 14, the -weft weaves between -the warp yarn ends 10, and finally loops about the one thereof at theedge of the fabric; (3) intermediate passes are made. The weft weaves forth and back between the Warp yarn ends 10, and finally loops about the one thereof at the edge of the fabric; (4) the first principal pass aforesaid is repeated; (5) a fourth principal pass is made, from right to left. After passing over the warp yarn -thread 16 and under the bundles 13 and 14, the |weft weaves between the warp yarn ends 10, and finally loops about the one thereof at the edge of the fabric; and (6) the intermediate passes aforesaid are repeated. 'Ihe bead 15 and the tape fabric are simultaneously formed progressively and are tightly woven together as ythey are formed. Referring particularly to Figure 5, in

the nished product, the auxiliary warp yarn ends 16 and 17 normally are tied in so tightly to the Warp yarn ends v10 that they are sandwiched between the bead forming bundles 13 and 14 and are not visible. The important function of the auxiliary Warpyarn ends 16 and 17 is to support the bead forming bundles 13 and 14 in position on the edge of the tape. In the absence of these auxiliary warp yarn ends 16 to 17, it is extremely diiiicult, if not impossible, to accomplish this desired end.

It is important to note that the weft yarn loops that tie in the bead forming warp yarn ends 12 are drawn tight about the yarn bundles 13 and 14 and materially Ireduce the girth thereof at the weft yarn loops, leaving the portions of the bead forming warp yarn ends 12 that extend between the weft yarn loops comparatively loosely bunched and capable of lyielding considerably. The important advantage of this construction is thatzipper teeth may be attached to and detached from the zipper tape with materially less likelihood of damage to `the yarns thereof. In order to further reduc-e the likelihood of damaging the yarns of the tape, the bead 15 is treated in the manner now to be described.

The woven tape is passed over a roller `that is partially submerged in a suitable liquid, with the bead 15 thereof in 'contact with the face of the roller. As the roller is turned it continuously brings up liquid which is deposit'ed upon the bead 15. The latter absorbs the liquid, which dries into a thin exible film 18. Several liquids have been used successfully, and among these are the following: (l) Full strength Nopco wax emulsion, No. 2252 (50 percent solids, of which practically all is Wax, and 50 percent water), manufactured by Nopco Chemical Company, Harrison, New Jersey; (2) 10 to 90 (preferablfy percent aqueous solution, by weigh-t, of Vuleanol XNLZSSO (latex solution), manufactured by Alco Oil and Chemical Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa.; (3) a solution 'of alum, in the ratio of one pound of alum to eight quarts of |water; (4) beeswax; and (5) 5 to 10 percent aqueous solution of Elvacet, (81-900polyvinyl acetate -resin emulsion) manufactured by E. I. du Pont de Nemours '& 'Company (Inc.), Wilmington, Delaware.

It will be understood, of course, that the present invention is susceptible of various changes and modifications Which may be made from time to time without departing from the general principles or real spirit thereof, and it is intended to claim the same broadly, as Well as specifically, as indicated by the appended claims.

`What is claimed as new and useful is:

l. In combination with a Woven fabric, at least one auxiliary warp yarn end extending along an edge thereof, and a bead including a bundle ofyarns overlying the fabric edge aforesaid, and another bundle of yarns underlying the fabric edge aforesaid, said bundles of yarns being tied into said fabric by weft yarn extending from the latter and looped about said auxiliary wa-rp yarn and at predetermined regular intervals along said fabric edge additionally looped about one of said bundles and alternately about the other of said bundles, the bead forming yarns being gathered into weft yarn secured bundles in which the yarns are untwisted and said auxiliary warp yarn -being pulled down and sandwiched between said secured bundles by the tight drawing of the looped weft yarn aforesaid to thereby stand said secured bundles upon the edge of said fabric, the yarns of said secured bundles being closely bunched within the weft yarn loops and relatively loosely bunched between successive weft yarn loops about a given bundle.

2. The combination defined .in claim 1 wherein the auxiliary warp yarns are plural in number and the weft yarn of eachloop extending from the fabric and tying the bundles thereto is crossed between each successive pair of said auxiliary warp yarns.

3. In awoven fabric of the character described, a

l multiplicity of regular warpwise extending yarns, at least one weftwise extending yarn, at least one auxiliary warpwise extending yarn disposed along one edge of the fabric, and a bead including a multiplicity of warpwise extending yarns certain of which are disposed in overlying and others of which are disposed in underlying relation to the edge of said fabric, said weft yarn being looped at predetermined intervals about said auxiliary warp yarn, corresponding sides of the several loops aforesaid being disposed between said bead forming yarns and the remaining sides of the several loops aforesaid being alternately disposed in overlying relation to said overly- -ing and underlying bead forming yar-ns respectively, said bead forming warp yarns being thereby gathered into a pair of handles and said auxiliary warp yar-n ends being thereby drawn `down and sandwiched between said bundles by the tight drawing of thelooped weft yarn aforesaid to lthereby stand said bundles upon the edge of said fabric, the yarns of said bundles being untwisted and. closely unched wit-hin the weft yarn loopsand relatively loosely bunched between successive weft yarn loops about a given bundle.

4. lIn a woven fabric as defined in claim 3 wherein there are a pair of auxiliary Warp yarns andthe loops formed in the weft yarn are crossed between said pair of auxiliary warp yarns.

5. The vmethod of producing beaded fabric for mounting zipper teeth including the steps of laying theprimary warp yarns of the beaded fabric to be woven, laying an unsecured bundle of untwisted bead-forming warpwiseextending yarns above the plane of the fabric to be woven, laying an unsecured vbundle of untwisted bead-forming warpwise-extending yarns below the plane of the fabric to be woven, laying an auxiliary Warp yarn parallel to said primary warp yarns but spaced therefrom by the intervening bundles, weaving the fabric and the bead in the same operation by the steps of weaving a weft yarn transversely to the primary warp yarns, between said bundles and looped about the auxiliary warp yarn and one of said bundles, weaving transversely through the primary warp yarns in the opposite direction and pulling the weft yarn tight so as to closely bunch the bead forming yarns within the weft yarn loop and draw the auxiliary warp yarn down and sandwich it between the bead-forming yarn bundles, repeating the foregoing weaving steps with regard to the primary warp yarns, the other of said bundies, and the auxiliary Warp yarn, and then repeating the foregoing weaving steps as long as desired to form the desired length of beaded al'rita 6. The method of producing beaded fabric for mounting zipper teeth as defined in claim 5 including the further step of rolling upon' the bead a liquid substance that will dry to form a closely adhering thin exible protective coat with the bead-forming bundles andauxiliary warp yarn enclosed therein.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

